With offline activities increasingly moving online to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, the internet is becoming more crucial than ever. Sadly, governments in Togo, Burundi, Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Belarus, Chad, Guinea, Sudan, Iran, Jordan, and Pakistan — among others — have made it to the infamous list of countries implementing internet shutdowns to stifle expression.
Bringing together stakeholders from journalism and media, education, health, technology, civil society, the measurement community, and others, Fighting against internet shutdowns in 2020 through strategic advocacy will dive into the impacts of internet shutdowns during COVID-19, elections, protests, and beyond. The Webinar will also look at the innovative strategies stakeholders are employing in the fight to end internet shutdowns, with a focus on 2020’s biggest offending countries. Speakers will discuss litigation, coordinated campaigns and advocacy, getting the context right, engaging the right stakeholders, sharing the untold stories, and measuring and building evidence — strategies used by members of the #KeepItOn coalition and other groups fighting against internet shutdowns.
Speakers:
- Abdelkerim Koundougoumi, Africa Desk Director at Internet Sans Frontieres
- Nighat Dad, Founder of Digital Rights Foundation (Pakistan)
- Aisha Dabo, Program Manager at Africtivistes
- Alexey Kozliuk, Human Constanta (Belarus)
- Ali Sibai, Digital Security Consultant and Internet Freedom Researcher at SMEX
- Felicia Anthonio, Campaigner and #KeepItOn Lead at Access Now
When: September 24, 2020, 10:00 am UTC
Where: Access Now YouTube Live